BTRT Patterns (on Etsy)

Welcome to part five (and final) of this series of informational posts to help parents and family shop for playsilks for the little ones in their lives. As the holiday season approaches and you look for long lasting, beautiful, natural playthings, these posts can help you choose quality silks.

As you may have realized, I am a little passionate about playsilks.Unabashedly so.
My latest calculation is somewhere nearing 12 000 pieces dyed in my sinks, in my kitchen, in nearly 5 years.
And every single time I get out the dye pots I am excited to see what happens!Silk is a gorgeous, versatile, durable fabric.

As a tool for children's work of play it is definitely an investment.But dollar for dollar, I guarantee that a single playsilk will outplay and outlast most other toys.
It will become a standard part of a child's play, used in myriad ways that we grownups cannot imagine.
It will last through years of play.

Our tagline for our silk is: "Endless possibilities, just like a child's imagination."And we mean it.

{{You can check out an article about creating a more natural 'toolbox' of toys for kids (Declutter & Save Money) and the skeptical parents of boys might want to take a peek at our article about silks for little boys (be sure to read the comments, too!) and the amazing potential to release them from the narrow world of wheels and guns.}}

As a natural fiber which involves a fair amount of hands on human labour and care (not to mention hand stitched, hand rolled hems) silk is not a cheap fiber.
But like wool, it has merits that warrant the price tag.
It has qualities that are unsurpassed by any other fabric.

When you factor in the durability and long life of playsilks, across years of evolving play, the price tag begins to make more sense.
Add that many, many families are trying to simplify their lives, add more nature and reduce plastic clutter, again, the playsilk is a powerhouse alternative.The price of silk has nearly tripled in the last five years, along with other natural fibers.
Silk is generally imported from China and India where the silk industries are ancient and integral to the culture and economy of these nations. Very little silk is produced outside of these regions.

At BTRT we ensure that our silk is ethically sourced from manufacturers who practice fair labour and sustainable husbandry. Our dream would be to work one to one with a manufacturer of tussah/ peace silk (a process in which the silkworms are not destroyed, in order to achieve a vegan acceptable product), but this remains out of reach right now!

Our silk is priced to reflect the cost of the materials, time invested in creating each one of a kind, dyed-to-order piece, experience, quality and the fact that we strive to earn a living wage as artisans.

When shopping for silk, and making price comparisons take all of the information into consideration~ not all silk is created equal~experience and consistency can add a measure of reassurance when purchasing something sight unseen, and to last throughout a childhood!

All of the information in this series can help you make an informed and confident investment in tools for your child’s work of play.

And no matter what size or seller you choose, you will be making a choice of something natural and beautiful for your kids. I guarantee you they will be delighted with their gift and bring delight to you as well when you see them hard at play!

1 comments:

Thank you so much for this shopping guide!! I am completely intrigued! Can I ask where you get your silk? I'm just starting to delve into the world of dyeing animal fiber and would love to attempt some silks for my toddler. Thank you! :)